Expansible conduit for industrial truck



A ril 9, 1963 F. H. cooK EXPANSIBLE GONDUIT FOR INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Filed June 6, 1960 FIG. I

m T m m FRED H. COOK ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,084,765 EXPANSIBLE CUNDUET FGR INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Fred H. Cook, Battle Creek, Mich, assignor to Clark Equipment Company, a corporation of Michigan Filed June 6, 1969, Ser. No. 34,079 15 Ciairns. (Cl. 187--9) This invention relates to construction of expansible conduit means, and more particularly to flexible expansible conduit means for use in lift trucks and the like.

In certain types of lift trucks, such as those known as retractable mast trucks, hydraulic fluid must be conveyed from the main body of the truck to the lifting hoist motor which is supported in the mast mechanism for extension and retraction with the mast longitudinal of the main body of the truck.

It will be appreciated that a problem is encountered in respect of conveying fluid expeditiously to and from the movable hoist motor. Heretofore various arrangements of fluid conduits have been used for the purpose stated, such as overhead horseshoe-shaped hoses extending between the hoist motor and the truck body, and slot and swivel connection between opposite ends of a rigid hose carrier bar which connects the hose to the truck body and the hoist motor. In the latter arrangement, the rigid hose carrier extends from an upright position when the mast is retracted to an upwardly extending diagonal position when the mast is extended.

The present invention eliminates the need for any sliding pin connections between the hoses and truck elements, and is so constructed and arranged that a minimum of space is required, which is at a premium in trucks of the type contemplated. Also, my invention provides a neat and compact construction not heretofore available, while eliminating the possibility of fouling or kinking of the hose conduits during operation of the mast in extension and retraction.

It is an important object of my invention to provide an improved expansible conduit construction in lift trucks of the type contemplated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an expansible conduit which is of relatively simple and lowco-st construction and foldable in operation from an extended position into a substantially vertical plane.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an expansible hose construction which requires minimum space in assemled relation with a lift truck of the type disclosed.

The above objects are implemented in the present invention by a conduit construction which is connected at its one end to the main body, at its other end to the mast structure, and intermediate its ends to a junction block in a manner to be described below in detail.

The above and further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing diagrammatically a lift truck chassis in phantom view in association with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged eperspective view showing the conduit construction in extended position; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the construction of FIG. 2 in retracted position.

Referring now to the drawing, a lift truck is shown at numeral 12 and comprises generally a main body 14 having a pair of drive wheels 15, a forwardly extending outrigger body portion is having a pair of supporting trail wheels 17, and a longitudinally movable mast assembly 18 having a vertical actuatable upright 19, a lifting hoist motor 20, a lifting fork 22 movable vertically in upright "ice 1 9 and hoist motor pressure and vent conduits 24 and 26, respectively. Mast assembly 18 is adapted to be driven in either direction longitudinally of body portion 16 by motor means, not shown, for engaging, lifting and transporting loads by means of fork 22. A lift truck of the type shown generally herein is disclosed in detail in copending application Serial No. 818,869, filed June 8, 1959, in the name of R. Hastings, Ir. (common assignee).

An expansible conduit construction 27 is adapted to supply pressure fluid to hoist motor 20 by way of conduit 24 and to receive vent fluid from the hoist motor 20 through conduit 26. The expansible conduit construction 27 comprises a pair of substantially rectangular main body junction blocks 28 and 30, a pair of substantially rectangular intermediate junction blocks 32 and 36, a pair of substantially rectangular mast junction blocks 40 and 42, a bar 44 connecting the intermediate junction blocks 62 and 36, a bar 46- p-ivotally attached at one end to said bare 44 and pivotally connected at the other end to the rnsain body 14 of the truck, and four flexible conduits 48, 50, 52 and 54. The conduits 48, 50 and 52, 54 are connected in pairs, as illustrated, between the junction blocks 28, 32, 4t) and 38, 36, 42, respectively, by any conventional means, such as threaded fittings 56. Conduits 24 and 26 are connected at their one ends to junction blocks 42 and 40, respectively, and at their other ends to opposite ends of the hoist motor.

The main body junction blocks 28 and 30 are secured to the upper portion of main body 14, block 30 being connected to the discharge side of a fluid pump, not shown, by means of a conduit 58, and block 28 being connected to a sump, not shown, by means of a conduit The mast junction blocks 40 and 42 are connected to the ver tically non-movable portion of mast 18 preferably at about the same elevation as blocks 28 and 30. The intermediate junction blocks 32 and 36 are located at a substantially lower elevation than the other pairs of junction blocks &0, 42 and 28, 30 and are attached to the opposite ends of bar 44; which maintains the lateral spacing thereof, and held from sideways sway by bar 46.

The conduits 48 and 50 are preferably connected to the intermediate junction block 32 at the upper surface thereof, being perpendicular thereto at the location of connection and spaced apart in a direction transverse of the truck. The hoses 52 and 54 are similarly connected to the intermediate junction block 36.

Intermediate junction block passages 62 and 64 interconnect the respective pairs of flexible conduits. Conduit 50 and 52 are preferably connected to the undersides of blocks 4%) and 42 as well as conduits 24 and 26.

I will now describe the operation of my invention.

' tween the main body 14- and mast blocks 4-0 and 4-2.

The positional relationship of the various pairs of junction blocks with the mast extended causes the conduits con necting said pairs of blocks to be disposed in an essentially double-V-shaped configuration (FIG. 2). As the mast 18 is actuated to a retracted position, junction blocks 32 and 36 move rearwardly and downwardly while c0n duits 5t} and 54 move transversely inwardly of conduits 4-8 and 52 to a substantially vertical parallel coplanar relationship (FIG. 3). Spacing md sway bars 44 and as help to maintain the desired relationship during actuation of the mast.

From the foregoing it will now be apparent that I have provided an extremely compact, simple and generally improved expansible conduit construction for applications such as exemplified herein.

While I have disclosed one preferred form of my invention, I am aware that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of parts and I do not intend to be limited except as may appear in the claims appended.

I claim:

1. For use in a lift truck having a retractable mast and a main body, an expansible conduit construction comprising at least one fluid junction means adapted to be connected to the main body of the lift truck, at least one fluid junction means adapted to be connected to the retractable mast, a fluid junction means located intermediate and below said main body and mast junction means, and a pair of flexible conduits for connecting said intermediate junction means with said main body junction means and with said mast junction means in such a manner that when the retractable mast is in its retracted position said flexible conduits are substantially straight, parallel and lie in a plane which is transverse of the lift truck and when the mast is in extended position said flexible conduits form generally a V-shape.

2. An expansible conduit construction as claimed in claim 1 wherein hoist motor means is mounted in the retractable mast, and other conduit means is connected to the mast junction means and to one end of the hoist motor.

3. For use in a lift truck having a horizontally retractable mast and a main body, an expansible conduit construction comprising a pair of flexible conduits, means for connecting one end of one of said flexible conduits to the retractable mast, means for connecting one end of the other of said conduits to the main body, and means for connecting together the other ends of said conduits at an elevation below the first and second-mentioned connecting means, said last-mentioned connecting means being supported by said conduits so that the said last-mentioned connecting means is raised upon horizontal extension of the mast and is lowered upon horizontal retraction thereof.

4. For use in a lift truck having extensible and retractable means and a main body, an expansible conduit construction comprising a pair of transversely spaced junction means adapted to be connected to the main body of the lift truck, a pair of transversely spaced junction means adapted to be connected to the retractable means, a pair of transversely spaced junction means intermediate and below the first two-mentioned pairs thereof, a transverse bar upon which said intermediate junction means are mounted, a pair of flexible conduits for supporting said intermediate junction means and for connecting said intermediate junction means with said main body junction means and with said retractable junction means, said flexible conduits being located in substantially parallel coplanar relationship transverse of the lift truck when the retractable means is retracted and forming substantially parallel longitudinally extending V-shaped configurations when the retractable mast is extended.

5. For use in a lift truck having a retractable mast and a main body, an expansible conduit construction comprising a pair of junction blocks adapted to be connected to the main body of the lift truck, a pair of junction blocks adapted to be connected to the retractable mast of the lift truck, a pair of junction blocks located intermediate and below the junction blocks of the main body and of the mast, a pair of flexible conduits for supporting said pair of intermediate junction blocks and for connecting each said intermediate junction block with one of said main body junction blocks and with one of said mast junction blocks, said flexible conduits being connected to an upper surface of each said intermediate junction blocks in transversely spaced relation, and a passage in each of said intermediate junction blocks interconnecting said flexible conduits.

6. For use in a lift truck having a main body and a retractable mast, a pair of main body hydraulic junction blocks, a pair of intermediate hydraulic junction blocks, a pair of retractable hydraulic junction blocks connected to the mast, a transverse bar upon which said intermediate junction blocks are mounted, another bar pivotally connected to said first-mentioned bar and to the main body to prevent sideways sway of said intermediate junction blocks and of said first-mentioned bar, an upper surface on each of said intermediate junction blocks, two pairs of flexible hoses for connecting said intermediate junction blocks with said main body junction blocks and with said mast junction blocks, said flexible hoses being connected to said upper surfaces of said intermediate junction blocks, and passage means in each of the intermediate junction blocks for interconnecting said flexible hoses.

7. For .use in a lift truck having a main body and horizontally retractable means, an expansible conduit construction comprising a pair of flexible conduits, means for connecting one end of one of said flexible conduits to the retractable means, means for connecting one end of the other of said conduits to the main body, and means for connecting together the other ends of said conduits at an elevation below the first and second-mentioned connecting means, said last-mentioned connection means being supported by said conduits so that the said last-mentioned connecting means is raised upon the horizontal extension of the retractable means and is lowered upon the horizontal retraction thereof.

8. For use in a lift truck having a mainbody and a retractable mast, a vertically extending cylinder hoist motor mounted in the mast, a pair of transversely spaced movable hydraulic junction blocks located intermediate the main body and mast, flexible conduit means connecting one of said junction blocks with the main body, the mast and one end of the hoist motor, and other .fiexible conduit means connecting the other of said junction blocks With the main body, the mast and the other end of the hoist motor, said intermediate junction blocks being located at a substantially lower elevation than said flexible conduit connections to the main body and mast and supported by said flexible conduit means.

9. For use in a lift truck having a main body and horizontally extensible and retractable means, junction means located intermediate the main body and the extensible and retractable means, and flexible conduit means connecting said junction means with the main body and the extensible and retractable means, said junction means being supported by said flexible conduit means, located at a substantially lower elevation than said flexible conduit connections to the main body and the extensible and retractablemeans and movable upwardly and for wardly upon horizontal extension of the extensible and retractable means.

10. For use in a lift truck having a horizontally retractable mast and a main body, an expansible conduit construction comprising flexible conduit means connected to the main body and to the retractable mast at substantially the same elevation, and means connected to said flexible conduit means intermediate the said connections thereof to the body and mast at an elevation substantially lower than said connections and supported by said conduit means, the intermediate portion of said conduit means moving upwardly and downwardly with the said latter means during horizontal extension and retraction of the mast, respectively.

11. In combination, first and second mounting means movable relative to each other, first, second and third conduit connectors, said first and third connectors being attached to said first and second mounting means, respectively, said second connector being located at a substantially lower elevation than said first and third connectors, and first and second flexible conduit means for supporting said second connector and connecting said spea /e second connector with said first and third connectors, respectively, such that when said first and third connectors move relatively apart said flexible conduit means conforms to a substantially V-shaped configuration and when said first and third connectors move relatively together said first and second flexible conduit means assume substantially parallel relation to each other.

12. In combination, first mounting means, second mounting means, said first and second mounting means being movable relative to each other, a pair of first conduit connectors, a pair of second conduit connectors, a pair of third conduit connectors, said first and third connectors being attached to said first and second mounting means, respectively, said second connectors being located at a substantially lower elevation than said first and third connectors, and a pair of flexible conduit means for supporting said pair of second connectors and connecting said pair of second connectors with said pairs of first and third connectors, respectively, in such a manner that when said pairs of first and third connectors move relatively apart with said first and second mounting means said pair of flexible conduit means form a substantially double V-shaped configuration and when said pairs of first and third connectors move relatively together said pair of flexible conduit means are substantially parallel and coplanar.

13. For use with a lift truck having an elongated frame and a body portion mounted thereon, load engaging means supported on the frame for reciprocal longitudinal movement relative thereto, fluid motor means arranged for reciprocal longitudinal movement wtih said lead engaging means, and an expansible fluid conduit construction for conveying fluid between the body portion and said fluid motor means, said construction including a pair of flexible conduits, first junction means for connecting one end of one of said conduits to the body portion, second junction means for connecting one end of the other of said conduits to said load engaging means and third junction means for connecting together the other ends of said conduits at an elevation below said first and second junction means so that said third junction means is raised upon longitudinal movement of said load engaging means in one direction and lowered upon longitudinal movement of said load engaging means in the other direction.

14. For use with a lift truck having an elongated frame and a body portion mounted thereon, load engaging means supported on the frame for reciprocal longitudinal movement relative thereto, fluid motor means arranged for reciprocal longitudinal movement with said load engaging means, and an expansible fluid conduit construction for conveying fluid between the body portion and said fluid motor means, said construction including a pair of transversely spaced junction means adapted to be connected to the body portion of the lift truck, a pair of transversely spaced junction means connected to said load engaging means, a pair of transversely spaced junction means intermediate and below the first two-mentioned pairs thereof, a transverse bar upon which said inter mediate junction means are mounted, a pair of flexible conduits for connecting said intermediate junction means with said firstmentioned junction means and with said second-mentioned junction means, said flexible conduits being located in substantially parallel coplanar relationship transverse of the lift truck when said lead engaging means is disposed adjacent the body portion and forming substantially parallel longitudinally extending V-shaped configurations when said load engaging means is actuated away from the body portion.

15. For use with a lift truck having an elongated frame and a body portion mounted thereon, load engaging means supported on the frame for reciprocal longitudinal move ment relative thereto, fluid motor means arranged for reciprocal longitudinal movement with said load engaging means, and an expansible fluid conduit construction for conveying fluid between the body portion and said fluid motor means, said construction including a pair of junction blocks adapted to be connected to the body portion of the lift truck, a pair of junction blocks adapted to be connected to said load engaging means, a pair of junction blocks located intermediate and below said first two-mentioned pairs thereof, a pair of flexible conduits for connecting each said intermediate junction block with one of said first-mentioned junction blocks and with one of said second-mentioned junction blocks, said flexible conduits being connected to an upper surface of each said intermediate junction block in transversely spaced relation, and a passage in each of said intermediate junction blocks interconnecting said flexible conduits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,554,930 Ulinski May 29, 1951 2,560,438 Gunn July 10, 1951 2,736,445 Hoban Feb. 28, 1956 2,788,148 Parcell Apr. 9, 1957 2,791,293 Schenkelberger May 7, 1957 

1. FOR USE IN A LIFT TRUCK HAVING A RETRACTABLE MAST AND A MAIN BODY, AN EXPANSIBLE CONDUIT CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE FLUID JUNCTION MEANS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE MAIN BODY OF THE LIFT TRUCK, AT LEAST ONE FLUID JUNCTION MEANS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE RETRACTABLE MAST, A FLUID JUNCTION MEANS LOCATED INTERMEDIATE AND BELOW SAID MAIN BODY AND MAST JUNCTION MEANS, AND A PAIR OF FLEXIBLE CONDUITS FOR CONNECTING SAID INTERMEDIATE JUNCTION MEANS WITH SAID MAIN BODY JUNCTION MEANS AND WITH SAID MAST JUNCTION MEANS IN SUCH A MANNER THAT WHEN THE RETRACTABLE MAST IS IN ITS RETRACTED POSITION SAID FLEXIBLE CONDUITS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT, PARALLEL AND LIE IN A PLANE WHICH IS TRANSVERSE OF THE LIFT TRUCK AND WHEN THE MAST IS IN EXTENDED POSITION SAID FLEXIBLE CONDUITS FORM GENERALLY A V-SHAPE. 